Trump Threatens Military Action In Nigeria Over Christian Persecution Claims - Beritaja

Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu attends an ECOWAS gathering successful Abuja, Nigeria, connected June 22, 2025. Olamikan Gbemiga/AP

ABUJA, Nigeria — U.S. President Donald Trump connected Saturday said he's ordered the Pentagon to statesman readying for imaginable subject action successful Nigeria arsenic he stepped up his allegations that the authorities is failing to rein successful the persecution of Christians successful the West African country.

The president besides warned that he "will instantly extremity each assistance and assistance to Nigeria."

"If the Nigerian Government continues to let the sidesplitting of Christians, the U.S.A. will instantly extremity each assistance and assistance to Nigeria, and whitethorn very good spell into that now disgraced country, 'guns-a-blazing,' to wholly swipe retired the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities," Trump posted connected societal media. "I americium hereby instructing our Department of War to hole for imaginable action. If we attack, it will beryllium fast, vicious, and sweet, conscionable for illustration the violent thugs onslaught our CHERISHED Christians!"

The informing came aft Nigeria's President Bola Ahmed Tinubu earlier connected Saturday pushed backmost connected Trump announcing a time earlier that he was designating the West African state "a state of peculiar concern" for allegedly failing to rein successful the persecution of Christians.

In a societal media connection connected Saturday, Tinubu said that the characterization of Nigeria arsenic a religiously intolerant state does not bespeak the nationalist reality.

"Religious state and tolerance person been a halfway tenet of our corporate personality and shall ever stay so," Tinubu said. "Nigeria opposes belief persecution and does not promote it. Nigeria is simply a state pinch law guarantees to protect citizens of each faiths."

Trump connected Friday said "Christianity is facing an existential threat successful Nigeria" and "radical Islamists are responsible for this wide slaughter."

Trump's remark came weeks aft U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz urged Congress to designate Africa's about populous state arsenic a violator of belief state pinch claims of "Christian wide murder."

Nigeria's organization of 220 cardinal is divided almost arsenic betwixt Christians and Muslims. The state has agelong faced insecurity from various fronts including the Boko Haram extremist group, which seeks to found its extremist mentation of Islamic rule and has besides targeted Muslims it deems not Muslim enough.

Attacks successful Nigeria person varying motives. There are religiously motivated ones targeting some Christians and Muslims, clashes betwixt farmers and herders complete dwindling resources, communal rivalries, secessionist groups and taste clashes.

While Christians are among those targeted, analysts opportunity the mostly of victims of equipped groups are Muslims successful Nigeria's Muslim-majority north, wherever about attacks occur.

Kimiebi Ebienfa, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reiterated the committedness of Nigeria to protect citizens of each religions.

"The Federal Government of Nigeria will proceed to take sides each citizens, irrespective of race, creed, aliases religion," Ebienfa said successful a connection connected Saturday. "Like America, Nigeria has nary action but to observe the diverseness that is our top strength."

Nigeria was placed connected the state of peculiar interest database by the U.S. for the first clip successful 2020 complete what the State Department called "systematic violations of belief freedom." The designation, which did not azygous retired attacks connected Christians, was lifted successful 2023 successful what observers saw arsenic a measurement to amended ties betwixt the countries up of then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit.